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8 ottobre 2010

Halloween

"[...]Halloween o Hallowe'en is the name of a holiday of pre-Christian origin, now typically American and Canadian, celebrated on October 31. However, its antique origins lose themselves in the remotest past of European traditions: they date back to the time when tribal populations used to divide the year in two parts, according to the livestock transhumance. In the period between October and November, since the ground was preparing itself for Winter time, people need to recover livestock indoor to guarantee its survival during the cold season: this is Halloween period.[…]

Halloween is a folk tradition, particularly popular in Anglo-Saxon countries. The charm and the magic of this holiday fascinate Italian people too, although it doesn’t belong to our culture.

Pumpkins, spiders’ webs, bugs, skeletons, monsters: these characters come to life in the night of October 31, every single year.

Children have fun going house-to-house after the sunset, wearing typical Halloween costumes, and saying the famous expression “Trick or treat?”; it’s recommended to answer “Treat!” and to give them some candies… or the homeowners will be victims of some funny tricks!

On the occasion of Halloween night, we can decorate our home with garlands, fake webs or the famous empty pumpkin, illuminated thanks to a candle inside it.